Print-drying apparatus.



M. B. MARTIN.

PRINT DRYING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED 0012,1916.

PatentedSept. 18, 1917.

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M. B MARTIN. PRINT DRYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT.2. 1916- Patented Sept. 18, 1917.

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MILFORD .B. MARTIN, F SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

PRINT-DRYING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 18, 1917.

Application filed October 2, 1916. Serial No. 123,397.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MILFORD B. MARTIN,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Print-Drying Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in photographic apparatus and more particularly to a drying machine for prints and the primary object is to provide a device of this character which will effectively dry the prints without shrinking the same and without damaging the surfaces thereof.

A further object of the invention resides in providing an improved heating drum with means for carr ing heat in a predetermined portion thereo and with further means for supplying cooled air to other portions of the same.

A still further object of the invention resides in providing a heating chamber within the drum ith means for conveying the heat from the drum to a drying apparatus for use in connection with a portion of the conveying belt.

A further object resides in the provision of.a device which is simple and durable in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and one which will be very efficient and useful in operation.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in. the novel features 01 construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter referred to and more particularly pointed out in the specification and claims.

49 In the accompanying drawings,

part of this application I Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section therethrough as seen on the line 2-2 of Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the machine,

Fig. i is a vertical section as seen on the line H of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section as seen on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the bearin member for the drum showing particularly the damper.

forming a In describing the invention, I shall refer to the drawings in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views and in which 1 designates a frame within which is rotatably mounted the hollow drum 2, said drum being supported, in a manner to be hereinafter and more particularly described, in bearings 3 suitably supported in the side portions of said frame. A driving and conveying belt 4; extends over the greater portion of the periphery of the drum, as shown in Fig. 1, the

same being endless and directed also over a pair of idlers 5 at the upper and lower portion of the rear of the frame. The belt is further directed over the idlers 6 and 7 respectively at the upper and lower portions of the front of the frame 1, the idler 7 being suitably supported in brackets 8 which extend outwardly from said frame, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. An additional idler 9 suitably supported on the end of a hand screw 10 which is mounted at the upper portion of the frame, also engages said belt and is designed to take up the slack therein. Rotatably mounted'in the bearings 3 on the one side of the frame is the angularend of a tubular shaft 11, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, ing extending downwardly into the drum to communicate with a chamber 12 therein.

said shaft or tubv Extending through the tubular shaft or the like 11 is a supply pipe 13 which also extends into the chamber 12 and is provided with burners 1 1 in the latter, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. As will appear from Fig. 2 of the drawings, the angular end of the tubular shaft 11 forms a supporting shaft or trunnion for the one side of the drum 2 and the support for the opposite side will be described herebelow.

The chamber 12 is formed by the provision of a sheet of material designated as 15 engaged at its one end with the inner periphery of the drum 2 and arranged parallel thereto for a considerable portion of its circumference, as shown in Fig. 4. The oppo site end of the chamber 12 terminates in a funnel-shaped member 16 which leads to a pipe 17 the latter being angular as shown in Fig. 2 and extended laterally through the wall of the drum opposite the pipe or tubing 11. This continuation of the pipe 17 forms a bearing or trunnion for the drum and the same continues upwardly in the form of a waste pipe 18, the purpose of which will be described herebelow.

In the operation of the device, a motor 19 of any desired type is mounted on the frame 1, the same operating through the medium through the medium of the belt 4 .m order to positively of a driving belt 20, a shaft 21 on which is a pulley 22. An additional driving belt 23 on the latter pulley operates the idler 6 which in turn operates the driving and conveying belt 4, thus rotating the drum 2. The prints in wet condition are adapted to be placed on the belt 4 at a place designated in the drawings at 24, the same being that portion of the belt between the frame 1 and the idler 7. The prints are adapted to be carried inwardly toward the drum 2, and in passing over the chamber 12 within said drum are adapted to be heated. It is not desirable to have the prints suddenly heated to a great extent and it is for this reason the prints do not reach the heated portion of the drum until after passing over a portion of the latter. Moreover, that portion of the chamber 12 which first meets the print, is not heated to the extent of the remaining portion for the same reason, and thus the print is gradually heated as the same is passed over the drum. through the medium of the belt. It is obvious that the chamber 12 will be heated by the ignition of the fuel at the burners 14 and air is admitted to said chamber at the burners through the pipe 11. A damper 25 is provided at the outer end of this pipe 11 for the purpose of controlling the flow of air to the burners.

As the prints are passed over the heated drum the same are dried and in order to prevent undue heat in the drum which would cause injury to the prints, airopenings 26 are provided in said drum. The prints, after being dried, on the drum are directed to a receiv ing hopper 27 which is carried at the forward-end of the frame 1. Operating in connection with the belt 4 at the idler 6 and just above the hopper 27 is a scraping member 28 which is spring held against the belt, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawin s. In the event a print should adhere to t e belt, the same will be readily removed therefrom by this scraping member, and it will be noted that said scraping member is positioned on the forward portion of the roller or idler 6 whereby.the print will have a tendency to be bent opposite to the bending thereof over the drum. Hence, the edge of the print will be directed outwardly so that the scraper will readily engage the same and remove said print from the belt. It may be possible that a print in being carried around the drum 2 may adhere thereto and remove the same an additional scraping member 29 is pivotally mounted in the hopper 27, as shown in Fig. 5 and yieldingly held against the periphery of said drum by means of a coil spring 30.

The hopper 27 is provided with a hinged bottom 31 which is held in place by means of member 32 and the front of said hopper is further provided with a hinged door or is held in place by means extends upwardly to form a waste or exhaust pipe 18. The latter communicates with a drying apparatus 35 at the upper portion of the frame just below the belt 4, as the latter travels over the idler 9. It is a well known fact that in the drying process certain of the dampness of the print will be driven through to the belt and this drying apparatus 35 receives the heat exhausted from the chamber 12 so as to dry the belt 4 as the latter continues from the drum 2. The belt is thus in a dry condition again at the time it travels in position to receive the prints for a further operation.

From the foregoing description of the construction of my improved device, the operation thereof and the manner of applying the same to use will be readily understood and it will be seen that I have provided a simple, inexpensive and efiicient means for carrying out the objects of the invention.

While I have particularly described the elements best adapted to perform the functions set forth, it is obvious that various changes in the form, proportion and in the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the principles of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A drying machine of the class described including a frame, a drum rotatably mounted therein, a chamber formed within said drum and stationary therein, means for heating the chamber, and a driving and conveying belt mounted on said frame and operating in connection with said drum.

In a machine of the-class described, a

frame, a drum of hollow design rotatably mounted therein, a chamber arranged within said drum and having an outlet through the side of the latter, means for heatin said chamber, a driving and conveying be t, arranged on the frame and operating in connection with said drum, and means for con heat from the chain:

veying the exhausted her to portions of the belt to dr th l m -,1"

3 In a device of the class described W a heat conveying frame, a rotatable drum, pipe leading into the axis of said drum, 3. heat exhausting pipe leading from the axis of said drum opposite pipe, said pipe forming the rotatable axes of said drum, a chamber arranged in said drum receiving the heat conducting pipe therein and terminating in the exhausting pipe, and means for rotating said drum and conveying elements for contact therewith.

4. In a machine of the class described, a

the first-mentioned frame, a drum of hollow design rotatable thereon, a chamber arranged in said drum and stationary therein, means for supplying heat to said chamber, a driving and conveying belt operatively mounted on the frame and operating in connection with said drum, a receiving hopper also mounted on the frame, a yielding scraping member in connection with the belt above the hopper, and an additional yielding scraping member within the hopper operating in connection with the drum.

5. In a device of the class described, a frame, a drum of hollow design, a heat conducting pipe extending through the center of one wall thereof, a heat exhausting LHLFQRD B. MARTIN. 

